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The Collaborative International Dictionary
graphoanalysis

graphology \gra*phol"o*gy\ (gr[.a]*f[o^]l"[-o]*j[y^]), n. [Gr. gra`fein to write + -logy: cf. F. graphologie.]

  1. The art of judging of a person's character, disposition, and aptitude from his handwriting; called graphoanalysis by its practitioners. Though its practitioners consider it a science, it is widely considered a pseudoscience, as is astrology.

  2. (Math.) The system or notation used in dealing with graphs.

  3. (Linguistics) The study of systems of writing of languages; also called grammatology.

graphoanalysis

graphoanalysis \graph`o*an*al"y*sis\ (gr[a^]f`[-o]*an*[a^]l"[i^]*s[i^]s), n. The art of judging of a person's character, disposition, and aptitude from his handwriting; also called graphology. As a discipline, the modern form was developed by Milton Newman Bunker in the period after 1915.

Note: Though its practitioners consider it a science, many commentators believe that its methodology is not scientific, and some consider it a pseudoscience, as is astrology.

Wikipedia
Graphoanalysis

Graphoanalysis is a form of the pseudoscience graphology in which an analysis of strokes in handwriting of any language or note taking system, and its deviation from "textbook standard", claim to make predictions of psychological traits. It was created by Milton N Bunker who first studied handwriting analysis around 1913. He formed the American Grapho Analysis Society by 1929, and in 1949 he incorporated the International Grapho Analysis Society (now the International Graphoanalysis Society or IGAS). Since 1961, IGAS has been the sole owner of all material, and intellectual property rights relating to graphoanalysis.

The roots of graphoanalysis are in the writings of Abbe Michon, and influences of Crépieux-Jamin, and other European graphologers but very little material published by Bunker, The American Grapho Analysis Society, or The International Graphoanalysis Society acknowledges these roots. Published reliability studies on graphoanalysis have used very few analysts, typically less than five. The IGAS Trait Norm Project published in 1980 had poor research design and methodology.

Usage examples of "graphoanalysis".

A certified graphoanalyst, or handwriting expert, for twenty-five years, Samas, who is also a psychotherapist, had completed undergraduate and graduate studies at Columbia University and once served as the president of the New York chapter of the International Graphoanalysis Society.

As a document examiner, Parker Kincaid believed in the psychological connection between our minds and our hands: personality revealed not by how we form letters (that graphoanalysis nonsense that Lukas seemed so fond of) but through the substance of what we write and draw when we're not really thinking about it.